Stories of Life in Georgia

African Americans’ Pursuit of Landownership in Georgia Agriculture

African Americans have played an important role in producing Georgia’s most lucrative agricultural products. But despite making significant contributions to the industry, Black farmers continue to face barriers to land ownership.

A History of Newspaper Journalism in Georgia

Since their inception in 1763, newspapers in Georgia have printed a first draft of the history of the state and its people. More than just a mirror of society, print journalism has also been an influential voice in the state's affairs and helped shape Georgia’s view of itself. Over time, Georgia’s newspaper industry diversified and increasingly came to reflect the different identities and beliefs of its people.

LGBTQ+ Art and Expression in Twentieth-Century Georgia

During the latter half of the Twentieth Century, LGBTQ+ artists produced a remarkable body of socially engaged work that continues to inspire and instruct. Whether on screen, on stage, or in print, these creators addressed an array of social issues including censorship, homophobia, and the AIDS crisis, among others. Illustrated by materials culled from archives statewide, this exhibit traces the history of that art and activism, in Georgia and beyond.

Labor and Civil Rights in the American South

Throughout the twentieth century, organized labor and civil rights organizations fought for the advancement of working-class Americans. These two social movements often combined power and strategies, such as strikes, marches, and boycotts, to bring about progressive change. But white employers and politicians, particularly in the anti-union South, continually sabotaged their efforts to “organize the disorganized,” and the region remained largely nonunionized and riven with social inequality through the turn of the century.

A History of Urban Renewal in Atlanta examines the history of urban renewal and urban redevelopment in Atlanta, from the end of World War II up until today. Urban renewal sought to redevelop blighted areas of Atlanta through the demolition of historic neighborhoods and the creation of new infrastructure such as public housing projects and interstate highways. This exhibit explores how urban renewal intersected with local and national politics, including the civil rights movement and histories of segregation.

Convict Labor in Georgia

In the aftermath of the Civil War, Georgia's convicts were leased to private companies that forced them to perform backbreaking labor under brutal conditions. Reformers abolished the practice in the twentieth century, but racial inequality and physical abuse have remained common features of the state's penal system.

Theater in Georgia

From small stages to big screens, Georgia's theaters have played an important role in the state's economic and cultural development. Beginning with vaudeville theater in the nineteenth century, this exhibit explores the productions, performers, and venues that shaped Georgia's theatrical history.

1912-2020

Throughout the fall of 1912 in Forsyth County, white “night riders” terrorized and attacked their Black neighbors until nearly all 1,098 of them had fled. The county remained overwhelmingly white until the late 1990s. This exhibit explores the county’s fraught history of racial tension, its rapid population growth since the 1970s, and its increasing diversity in the early twenty-first century.

The Women Who Shaped Georgia's Civic Landscape

The early twentieth century saw shifting understandings of women’s roles in and outside of the home. Suffragettes advocated for women’s active involvement in civic society and politics while anti suffragettes believed their roles should be contained within the domestic sphere. This exhibit explores the leaders and organizations of the women’s rights movement, as well as the issue environments that came in their wake, including political, welfare, racial, and educational reforms.